Cognition
Week 69
We can teach, learn, and practice by considering
how we first were taught to do something
Cognitive skills, or cognitive abilities, are the ways that your brain remembers, reasons, holds attention, solves problems, thinks, reads, and learns. Logic and reasoning skills help you solve problems and generate ideas. This cognitive ability is part of the preciousness of our humanity. God has endowed us with the ability to think logically well beyond any animal. There is a huge gulf between our cognition and that of animals. Animals mostly live by instinct and inborn behaviors.
Note: Have the children bring a coat or a jacket to the meeting today.
Point to emphasize
We can learn something and practice it. We practice by remembering how we were taught to do it and using that as our starting point.
Reference verse
Train up a child according to the way he should go; / Even when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Sample lesson
- We have been discovering how God made us so differently than the animals. Now we will discover that God made us with a marvelous brain that is so far above any animal’s brain.
- Today we are going to talk about how God made us with the ability to learn and practice many things.
- God made us in a special way. Because of the way He made our brains, we can learn lots of different things. What are some things you are learning? [Let them speak about what they are learning. Ask if they take lessons, if they practice it, if they were able to do the task or activity the first time they tried it.]
- Right now there are certain things you can do. [Show picture #1 – let children discuss it] Putting socks on, putting shoes on the correct feet, and putting a coat on. [Show picture #2] As we grow older, we can learn more difficult things, like how to tie our shoes, ride a bike, write our names, and maybe how to play the piano. God made us so we can learn so many different things.
- Now let’s say we are all learning to put our shoes on. Sometimes we get mixed up and put them on the wrong way. At first, mom may put our shoes in the right position for us. [Show picture #3.] It is easy to slip your feet into the correct shoes when the shoes are positioned correctly. But, without mom’s help, we might place our shoes like this on the floor. [Show picture #4.] Then, we look at them and know something is wrong. Who can tell me what is wrong? [Let them respond.] Exactly! The toes always turn in toward each other. So we say, “Oops, this one goes there. Now they look right.” [Show picture #3.] Now every time you want to put your shoes on, you can just check whether the toes point into each other and if they don’t, you correct them.
- Let’s do the same thing with our coat or a jacket. Does everyone have their coat? This may be a new way for you to put on your coat, but I think you can easily learn how to do it.
- Show Video #2
- Now, (child’s name), can you show everyone how to do this?
- Place your coat on the floor in front of you. The collar or hood should be closest to you. The arms should go out to the sides.
- Lean over and slide your arms into the sleeves.
- Flip your coat over your head as you do this
- Your coat is on! Wow!
- So, this morning we have learned how to put our shoes on the correct feet and how to easily put on a coat. What are other things we have already learned to do? [Show picture #1 again. Let children discuss such things as washing hands, putting on socks, brushing teeth, etc.] In a few years, you will learn more things like this! [Show picture #2 again.] Who do we know who already can tie shoelaces? [Let them answer.] And do we know anyone who can do this? [Let them answer.] And what is this child doing? [Let them answer.] Who do we know that can already write their name? [Let them answer.] And what is this girl learning? [Let them talk about learning to play the piano.] Right now we all can sit at the piano and play our “own” music but she is learning to read the piano notes to play a song. WOW! That is something we all can learn when we get older. We have a lot to look forward to learning as we grow older. God really created us in the best way! We get to learn to do more and more things as we grow! We should all thank God together by saying, “Thank You, God for making me this way!”
- Animals can’t learn all the things that we can. Of course, animals have to learn how to do certain things when they are young. Otters have to learn how to swim [show video #1.] The baby otter never learns or thinks like we do. Once it starts swimming on its own it never considers how the mother otter taught it. But we do! Once our mom or dad shows us how to do something new, like putting our shoes or coat on, we practice it again and again, always thinking back to how our shoes are supposed to be placed or how our coat was arranged on the couch. God made us in a marvelous way! We are able to learn so many different things throughout our life. And we have the way to think back how we were taught to do it.
Songs
God is so good
Jesus loves me
Suggested activities
Simon says
Videos
#1: Otter swimming
(https://www.youtube.com/embed/R3Qgs3vlR2g?rel=0)
#2: Teaching a child how to put on their own coat
(https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQ3pXg4ojow?rel=0)
Pictures
#1: Putting on socks, shoes, coat
#2: Tying shoes, riding a bike, writing your name, playing piano
#3: Shoes sitting correctly
#4: Shoes sitting incorrectly
